As many Fort Morgan residents have heard by now, the City Council is considering placing a question on the November election ballot asking city residents to approve a 1 percent increase in the sales tax rate to be used strictly for streets. The revenue would be used only for improvements, repairs and maintenance of the city’s 54 centerline miles of streets as well as the city’s alleys.

In an effort to address questions that have been raised about this proposal, the city staff has developed a list of Frequently Asked Questions and the answers to those questions. The Fort Morgan Times has agreed to publish the FAQs and answers in a series of guest columns in the paper, with this being the second of several installments.

We have tried to anticipate questions and to answer some that have already been raised in meetings, conversations and social media posts, but we realize there may be more questions and we encourage you to ask them. The best way to submit questions is by e-mailing them directly to strictlyforstreets@cityoffortmorgan.com. You can also call City Clerk/Public Information Officer John Brennan with your questions at 542-3963.

Here are today’s questions – watch this space for more questions and answers in coming days.

How many blocks could be repaved each year if the sales tax increase is approved?

It depends. Fort Morgan has some streets that are very wide, and the length of the blocks also varies. Some streets are in better condition than others, and the city has a priority plan for working on street improvements based on a scientific assessment of every city street by an independent consultant. It would also depend on what sort of improvement is needed for a given street – the city will do everything from a complete rebuild to asphalt resurfacing to chip sealing, depending on the condition of the street and what lies beneath it.

In general, the city has rebuilt about a mile of road each year with current funding. If the new sales tax is approved, projections show that would increase to more than four miles a year.

Will alleys also be improved?

The city council has not made a final decision on that, but the council has expressed support for the draft ballot language that includes alleys. That was added because of substantial feedback from the public in favor of including alleys.

Will sidewalks be included?

When the city makes certain improvements to a street, it is required by law that adjoining sidewalks be brought up to the standards of the American with Disabilities Act. So in many cases when a street is resurfaced with asphalt or rebuilt, ADA-compliant ramps will be installed in the sidewalks at all intersections as part of that project. The ballot question is also expected to allow the funding to be used for street, alley “and related infrastructure improvements and repairs,” which would allow the city the flexibility to make some repairs to sidewalks as streets are improved.

The street improvement program does not contemplate including all city sidewalks at this time, as that would drastically change the calculations and the revenue required. But the city has a longstanding sidewalk replacement program that splits the cost of sidewalk repairs and replacement with the adjoining property owner, who is responsible for maintenance of the sidewalk.

Will this program also include streets maintenance or only resurfacing?

The program is intended to improve the condition of city streets, and achieving that requires ongoing maintenance to extend the life of new streets or those that are already in good condition. So this revenue would also go toward maintenance that would improve and extend the life of streets.

Will revenue from the new tax be used for building new streets as new development occurs?

The city of Fort Morgan’s policy is that development pays for itself – in other words, developers must pay for infrastructure to serve new subdivisions or developments, including utilities, streets and other improvements. After the streets are built, however, they become the city’s responsibility to maintain and eventually resurface. So the tax revenue would not be used for the initial investment in new streets, but over the long term those streets will become part of the overall streets network and benefit from this revenue.

Will revenue from the new tax be used for things like replacing underground utilities such as water and sewer lines when a street is rebuilt?

No. When a street is fully rebuilt some or all underground utilities are likely to be replaced at the same time. But the city has budget funds for those utility replacements in the separate utility funds, so the new revenue would only be used for the actual street improvements. Every effort will be made to coordinate street improvements with other utility work, so that the money is spent most efficiently and wisely.

Will the city use this money to hire employees, buy paving equipment and do the street improvement work itself?

No. The city will not get into the paving business or expand the size of the city government. The city’s street department has the capability to patch street surfaces when potholes or other damage occurs, but resurfacing and rebuilding roads is a different matter. It requires expensive equipment and manpower as well as expertise so the city will have most of the work done by private contractors. As it does with all infrastructure projects, the city will use its staff and equipment wherever possible to reduce the costs of the overall project.